Reduce Waste – The Smart Way

Now is the time to take action if you want to help our planet. More and more lovely folk are starting to make changes to their daily habits in order to help the environment – and we want to make it easy for you. So, we have a list of tips to get you well on your waste reducing journey.

Make your home smarter

Waste doesn’t just refer to rubbish. It can also mean the heat that you might be wasting to warm your house when nobody is home.

The Nest thermostat is the answer to all your heating troubles. It learns! Meaning you’ll never have to programme it. Use it for one week, and from your preferences and behaviours it can tell what temperatures to use, and when. It even knows when you’re home, and when you’re not. By knowing exactly what your habits are, Nest thermostats can save you money each month on your bills and is much kinder to the environment to boot.

Recycling

Probably one of the most important things you can do in the home to reduce waste, is recycle. Most counties and boroughs provide separate bins for each element of your waste nowadays, so there’s no excuse not to separate your cardboard, plastic and garden stuff.

If you aren’t provided with a caddy for your wasted food, then you could try composting – it’ll even encourage you to plant your own fruit and veg too – which saves on plastic packaging from the supermarket – not to mention that organic, home-grown fruit and veg is far, far tastier.

Plastic packaging

As we’ve mentioned – much of your plastic consumption will come from your weekly supermarket shop. Plastic bags, packaging and containers are all contributing to the gradual destruction of our planet. Sounds dramatic, but it’s totally true. Most of the plastic used to wrap your groceries isn’t biodegradable – so opt for buying paper packaging, and loose fruit and veg instead. You can help even more by refusing straws and lids to coffee when you grab a drink.

Use natural products for cleaning

The chemicals in bleaches and soaps aren’t good for the environment, and actually, they aren’t very good for us either! Here are some simple substitutes that you can easily purchase. They’ll leave your home looking and smelling totally fresh.

Baking soda is your friend. Use it mixed with lemon juice or white vinegar for a powerful scrub, stain remover and all-purpose cleaner.

Ditch air fresheners, they’re bad for you! Instead invest in an air purifier or a hardy indoor plant.

Use water, vinegar and a few drops of essential oil as a glass cleaner.

Use a ball of aluminium foil in your tumble drier for the softest towels and clothes – we promise you’ll be amazed!

For dusting, simply invest in a good microfiber cloth and spritz on some water. If you’re dusting wood, add a couple of drops of essential oil for conditioning.

Cosmetics

This one is for the advanced waste reducers.

Have you ever tried making your own cosmetics? DIY deodorant, moisturiser and shampoo aren’t as complicated to create as you might think. You can buy the ingredients you need for them in bulk, and you’ll be saving the world from propellants, canister waste and much, much more.